Start of a long journey for AFC footie coaches
AFTER two weeks of learning and trying to earn the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) ‘C’ License Football Certificate Coaching Course, the journey for a career in football coaching officially starts for the 16 coaches from Visayas and Mindanao.
They were the remaining of the 19 coaches who signed up for the course which started in May 16 at the WestRidge Sports Park in Carmen Cagayan de Oro, and ended yesterday evening with the distribution of certificates to the finishers.The two coaches who signed up did not show up while the other one came only on the first day and did not return.
“It does not mean that you have finished this course, you have already passed. I have to evaluate your exam results still and your practical exams. Then I will submit the results to the Philippine Football Federation and then the AFC. At least it will take more or less six months for the results to come,’’ coach and course instructor John Carmona said during the closing ceremony.
Local FA Mocagesco RFA president Percy Guarin also said that he hopes this will not be the first time that this course will be hosted by his association. He also said that it is time for the coaches to go back to their own community to start organizing a team or getting a job a coach in a school.
PFF Technical Director Marlon Maro also came from Manila to attend the closing rites. “I hope that these coaches can produce players who are not only skillful but also players who have very good attitude,’’ Maro, also the current coach of the Philippine men’s football team which will compete in the Southeast Asian Games this year in Malaysia.
The team captain of this batch of coaches Lorenzo Turrecha of Xavier University was also thankful for the opportunity to participate in the course. He also thanked his batch mates for making him captain.
Coaches who completed the coach include the lone lady coach Celine Simone Jaldon of Davao city, Junieto Actub of Bulua National High School, Irish Almeda of Santiago Agusan del Norte, Dante Ardines of CMU Maramag, Bukidnon, Bonifacio Avenido of Butuan City, Ronan Belleza of Talisay City, Cebu, Dennis Bongocan of Rosevale School Cagayan de Oro City, Paul Kenneth Cabio of Higala FC of Cagayan de Oro, Rowen Clemena of Gingoog city, Christian Jireh Consolacion of Pagadian Zamboanga del Sur, Reynald Elmedulan of Iligan city, Dominick Gabrino, Rubio Lopez of Gingoog City, Rey Solis of Valencia, Bukidnon, Ariel Manuel Sudlang of Pagadian City, and Guiller Sumampong of Camp Philips, Bukidnon. (l.biantan@gmail.com)
For the third straight year, it’s Cleveland and Golden State in the NBA Finals. The 2016 champions versus the 2015 champions. The first “threematch” — rematch of a rematch — in league history. It’s the matchup most expected, the matchup most predicted, and probably the matchup the Cavaliers and Warriors wanted as well.
Let the hype, and the waiting, begin: game one isn’t until June 1 (June 2, PHL time).
The Cavaliers and Warriors split their two meetings this season, both winning at home. Cleveland won by one on Christmas Day (Dec. 26, PHL time), Golden State prevailed by 35 on Jan. 16 (Jan. 17, PHL time).
Golden State led the league with 67 wins this season and is a staggering 27-1 in its last 28 games — including a perfect 12-0 in the Western Conference playoffs, the first time a team has gone this deep into an NBA postseason without losing. Cleveland, which seemed sleepy at times in the regular season, went 12-1 in the Eastern Conference playoffs that ended with a win over Boston on Thursday night (Friday, PHL time).
Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue was quoted earlier this week saying he thought Boston’s offense was “harder to defend” than Golden State’s. Countered Golden State acting coach Mike Brown, when asked about it Thursday (Friday, PHL time): “That’s his opinion. It’s cute.”